One Piece's Elbaph Arc is edging closer in the anime, with new information having been revealed at AnimeJapan 2026. A new trailer showcased incredible animation for the upcoming arc, which has taken the world by storm. More than that, the new trailer also focuses on Monkey D. Luffy and sees him unleash a newly upgraded Gear form for all the fans to see. Evidently, Luffy has upgraded his Gear 4 and gained perfect mastery over his Haki, and the anime trailer has put that on full focus.
New Elbaph Arc Trailer Shows Luffy's Mini Gear 4
On March 28, 2026, AnimeJapan 2026 revealed a new trailer for One Piece's Elbaph Arc, and it showcased immense animation. The first half of the Elbaph Arc will span over 13 episodes and cover events from before the major flashback finally begins. The majority of it will focus on Luffy's adventure in the Land of the Giants.
As this adventure begins, Luffy shows advanced mastery over his Devil Fruit powers of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Specifically, Luffy manages to utilize the power of Gear 4 without fully undergoing the transformation as he did before. Now, Luffy can activate Gear 4 in just one part of his body and then unleash it with sheer ferocity. This was fully showcased in the new trailer and surprised quite a few of the fans, including those who read the manga.
Analyzing The Straw Hat Captain's Improved Mastery Over His Devil Fruit
In the Wano Country arc, Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit, and this gave him access to Gear 5. Devil Fruit Awakening isn't just a transformation, it also means that Luffy has fully mastered every single power that his Devil Fruit has to offer. It means that Luffy's mind and body are one with his ability now, which means that he has now figured out innovative ways to use his fruit that he never figured out before. In other words, Luffy has mastered the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika to such a degree that he can essentially use even Gear 4 in just parts of his body to conserve stamina.
As most readers of the story would remember, one of the biggest downsides of Luffy's Gear 4 was that it consumed too much Haki and stamina. After a couple of minutes, Luffy would leave the transformation due to the strain it put on his body. Luffy's new, innovative way of utilizing this transformation with Mini Gear 4 in just some of his body parts ensures that this drawback is completely removed while the power is not just maintained, but actually upgraded upon.
Assessing The Overall Value Of The Improved Gear 4
As was clearly shown in the new One Piece trailer revealed during AnimeJapan, Gear 4 is now once again a big asset for Monkey D. Luffy to utilize in battle. When Luffy unleashed the power of Gear 5, the fact that it gave him a new transformation that allowed him to manipulate his rubbery body in ways never before seen meant that Gear 4 was now obsolete. At this point, most fans wondered what the utility of Luffy's Gear 4 even was, especially because it consumed a lot of stamina, unlike Gear 2 and Gear 3.
Awakening is what happens when the mind and body of the user catch up with the ability. — Kaido
With his new Mini Gear 4, which was clearly put on display in the new trailer, it is clear to see that Gear 4 is once again given a lot of importance. Now, Gear 4 does not consume stamina but gives Luffy incredible amounts of strength without the stamina drain that comes with Gear 5. Against enemies such as the Seraphim, Yonko Commanders or even the Admirals, Mini Gear 4 would be the way to go at first, until the need for Gear 5 arises.
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Gauging The Overall Power Level Of The New Yonko
With Mini Gear 4 at his disposal, it is clear that Luffy has upgraded his overall power even further. The upcoming anime that starts its run on April 5, 2026, is surely going to show exactly that. Luffy was already incredibly strong in the Wano Country arc, and he fought against the likes of the Admirals and the Five Elders, later down the line, so his evolution is clear to see.
Luffy has evolved beyond all expectations, and what's more, his abilities have still not reached their full potential, meaning both Gear 4 and Gear 5 will continue to grow as the Elbaph arc continues and the final saga is explored even further. One Piece is surely going to elaborate upon his powers even further. For now, the Yonko stands tall as one of the mightiest in the final saga, with only the likes of Shanks being superior to him.
One Piece: Elbaph Arc Will Begin Streaming On Crunchyroll starting April 5, 2026.
